Haunter 1: The Shadow of the Haunter

39. Whole

Of course I was in the bathroom when the bell rang at Amy's. Not any bathroom, but the one at the other end of the apartment. That's my sixth sense for you. I scampered toward the front door, my heart racing. I stormed into the living room and hardly stopped to make sure it was him. A heartbeat later, I was jumping into his open arms.

We didn't laugh, we didn't talk, we didn't kiss. We just stood there, hugging each other as tightly as we could. And it was so weird. Because at that moment in his arms, my cheek against his chest, hearing his heart pound, feeling the light weight of his face against my hair, I felt that ever since I'd tiptoed out of that hotel room, I'd been lacking something vital I hadn't noticed was missing. But not anymore. Now I was whole again.

I don't know how long we remained like that, a minute or a year. But he eventually kissed my hair and loosened his arms around me, just enough for me to look up at him. So incredibly close, so incredibly real, so incredibly there.

I thought I'd spotted a wet spark in his eyes, but I'm pretty sure it was the happy tears in mine.

"Hey, young lady," he whispered softly, flashing that warm smile I adored.

"Hey, old man," I replied, unable to keep from grinning.

A discreet cough behind me forced us to step half an inch away from each other to turn to Amy. She handed out my bag with one of her motherly smiles.

"Go. You guys have some catch-up to do," she said.

Brandon nodded, smiling. He grabbed my bag with one hand and me with the other.

"Thanks," he said, and he turned to me. "Shall we?"

A minute later, we were on the elevator and hugging again. Three floors weren't enough to perform any soft porn for the security guard's entertainment, so he only brushed his lips with mine and led me out of the building.

It was freezing outside, and the wind pushed the temperature further down. I stuck to his side to walk the three-hundred feet to his rental, a white four-door pickup truck. He threw my bag into the backseat and opened the passenger's door for me. I couldn't help myself and stopped before climbing in. I just needed to smile up at him and stand on my tiptoes for his arm to wrap around my waist and his lips to meet mine. I grabbed his face with both hands, refusing to let him go with only a peck.

"Let's go," he breathed by my mouth.

His accommodations were actually only five minutes away from Amy's place, and soon he was taking me by the hand into a luxury hotel, buzzing with people all over the vast lobby. One of the receptionists dropped everything to come greet us and we finished the check-in in less time than the elevator needed to take us to Mr. Price's lavish suite.

I didn't have much of a chance to even glance around when he invited me in, because hardly one step in, he lifted me up in his arms, ignoring my complaints and kicks, and headed straight to the bedroom.

It was just reunion sex, knowing we had at least a week ahead to be together and take things easier.

Only after, when he cuddled me in his arms against his side, we had our first opportunity to actually look at each other and talk. Well, when we caught our breath. He caressed my hair to rest his hand on my cheek and flashed one of those lovely warm smiles before kissing my forehead.

"Gosh, I've missed you," he muttered. "How come I haven't felt whole until now?" He pressed my hand on his chest and entwined his fingers with mine. "This, see? Holding your hand." He sighed, shaking his head slightly. "I've been needing this ever since you left."

I frowned, nodding, my eyes on our hands. Yeah, he was right. I felt exactly the same.

"Why are we feeling this?" I murmured, giving voice to the question that had been torturing me ever since we'd first slept together.